Elmer elsworth steiner



No. 608,275. Patented Aug. 27 |898.

E. E. STE N v WEATHER 'cation le d Nov. 30, 1897.)

(Apph UNITEDY STATES v PATENT OEEICE.

ELMER ELSWORTH STEINER, OF-KNIGHTSTOVN, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOLEVI MORTON EDWARDS, OF SAME PLACE.

' WEATHER-STRIP.

SPECIFICATION `forming part of Letters Patent No. 608,275, dated August2, 1898.

Application iiled November 30, 1897. Serial No. 660,245. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I,-ELMER ELsWoETH STEINER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, resid-k ing at Knightstown, in the county of Henry and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Weather-Strip, of which thefollowing is a specication.

This invention relates to improvements in weather-strips of that classwherein a rocking or tilting strip is seated onl the threshold of adoor; and the object that I have in view is to provide a simpleconstruction in-which the pivotal supports for the tiltable strip areentirely housed and concealed from'view, and thereby protected from theweather and accumulations of dirt.

A further object that I have in view is to provide means which may bereadily applied to any ordinary door without respect to itscondition-that isfto say,`whether the door is lsquare with the'door-frame or occupies a saggedfposition with relation thereto-suchmeans providing for the adjustment of the tiltable strip to compensatefor the sagging of thedoor and enabling a tight joint to be obtainedbetween the door and the strip.

With these ends in view the invention consists in the novel constructionand arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

To enable others to understand my invention, I have illustrated thesamein the accompanying drawings, 'forming a part of this specification,and in which- Y Figure 1 is a perspective view with the door partiallyopen and illustrating the improved weather-strip substantially flushwith the sillstrips of the door-frame. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionalview through the door in its closed position and showing theweather-strip raised into close engagement with the lower edge of saiddoor. Fig. 3 is apvertical sectional view on a plane at right angles tothe plane of section in Fig. 2 and indicated by the dotted line 3 3,Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a detail perspective view, on an enlarged scale and inan inverted position, of the tiltable strip removed from the door-frameandV its supports." Figf is a4 detail perspective view of one oftheadjustable supports for the tiltable strip.

Like numerals of reference denote like and corresponding parts in eachof the several gures of the drawings.

j 1 designates the sill, 2 the door-frame, and 3 a swinging door, whichis hinged at one edge to the door-frame. All of these parts are of theusual or any preferred construction and no novelty therefor is hereinclaimed.

On the sill lis secured a pair of thresholdstrips 4 5, which arearranged within the limits of the door-frame 2 and are secured to thesill l in any suitable way. These thresholdstrips are arranged parallelto each other and suitably spaced apart to form between themselves `achannel or groove 7, and the outer 6, which slopes downwardly from thedoor 3 when the latter is closed within the doorframe, and thus forms awatershed to direct the rain away from the door and sill.

8 designates a tiltable or rocking weatherstrip, which is fitted withinthe channel 7, formed by and between the threshold-strips 4 5, and thistiltable strip Sis so supported within the door-frame and between thethreshold-strips that when the door is opened or partially opened theupper exposed face of the tiltable strip 8 lies substantially flush withthe'edges of the threshold-stripsl 4 5. This tiltable strip 8 is made ina single piece of metal, and on its lower side it is formed with alseries of bearing-lugs 9. These bearing-lugs 9 are arranged in thecentral line'of the tiltable strip, and they are spaced at suitableintervals from each other; but if desired a single longitudinal rib or`flange may be formed on the lower face of said tiltable strip toconstitute the rocking bearing therefor. I prefer, however, to employthe construction shown by Fig. 4 ofthe drawingsand to make eachbearing-lug 9 with a rounded or segmental lower edge for the purposeofvtting it removably and tiltably in the series of adjustable bearingspresently described. The tiltable strip .9 is provided on its upper sideor face and at the rear edge thereof with a longitudinal flange 10,which is inclinedupwardly and rearwardly from the horizontal at face atthe middle of said strip 8, and at the front edge of the strip 8 itsupper face is inclined downwardly and forwardly, as indicated at 1l, sothat the front part of the tiltable strip may threshold-strip 4 Vhas aninclined upper face I ICO assume a position where its inclined frontedge is flush with the inclined edge or face G ot the outertlneshold-strip 4C when the door is opened, thus providing a continuousinclined face on the tiltable plate or strip and the outerthreshold-strip for shedding water away from the pivotal bearings of thetiltable strip S. This tiltable strip or plate S is l'urther providedwith an u pwardly-extendin g lifting-arm l2, which is situated at oneend and the front edge of said tiltable plate. By reference to Fig. atof the drawings it will be seen that the tiltable plate or strip 8includes as integral parts of its structure the curved bearing-lugs D,the longitudinal ilange l0 at its rear edge, andthe lifting-arm l2 atits front end edge. All these parts are made integral with the tiltableplate S, and the simplicity and durability of the device are therebypromoted.

If desired, a longitudinal recess 13 may be cut in the lower edge of thehinged door 3 for the purpose of receiving the inclined flange or rib 10at the rear end of the tiltable plate or strip S; but it is notessential that this `groove shall be cut in the lower edge of the door.

In my improved weather-strip I provide a series of adjustable bearingsfor pivotally supporting the tiltable plate or strip S in operativerelation to the hinged door, and these supports are adjustableindependently of each other, so that they may be raised or lowered ateither side of the door for the purpose of adjusting the tiltable plateor strip and compensating for sagging in the door.

In the preferred embodiment of the adjustable bearings or supports forthe tiltable plate or strip l employ a series of three bearings l-l,each of which is provided with a threaded body or shank and a curvedrecess inthe upper extremity thereof, said curved recess constituting aseat 15 rfor one of the curved bearing-lugs f) on the lower face of thetiltable strip, one of; said adjustable bearings or supports being shownby Fig. of the drawin In applying my weather-strip to a door it is onlynecessary to secure the thresholdstrips l 5 in parallel relation to eachother and the sill l to .form therebetween the channel 7 and to securethe adjustable supports or bearings ll to the sill at proper intervalsfrom each other and in the space occupied by the channel or groove 7,the curved seats l5 of the adjustable supports being exposed above theupper face of said sill l. The tiltable plate or strip S may now bedropped into position between the threshold-strips 4 5 to have itsinclined rib or flange l0 lie ilush substantially with the upper face of'the inner threshold-strip 5, while the inclined face .ll at the frontedge of said strip or plate S is substantially ilush with the inclinedface (5 of the outer threshold-stri p l. rlhe strip or plate S has itsbearing-lugs t) fitted snugly in the curved seats l5 of the adjustablesupports,

and the lifting-arm l2 of said plate or strip S lies in the path of thedoor for the latter to impinge against said arm and depress the frontedge of the tiltable plate or strip S when the doei' is closed. It willbe evident that as the door is opened the tiltable plate or strip S willdrop back into place in the channel 7, so as toliesubstantiallyflushwith the threshold-strips i 5; but when the door is closed the arm l2 isbrought into contact with the door, and the continued movement of thelatter rocks or tilts the strip or plate S on the pivotal connection ofits lugs f) with the supports or bearings lai., thus raising the rearedge of the tiltable strip or plate for its inclined ilange l0 to havetight engagement with the lower edge et the door or the recess 13therein.

One of the important features connected with my improved construction isthe central line of bearing for the rocking or tiltable strip S, wherebythe pivots or supports for said strip S are entirely concealed or housedbeneath the body of the strip. This construction is advantageous fromthe fact that the pivotal supports for the strip are entirely concealedor housed beneath the strip, and water is thus prevented from havingaccess to the pivotal supports and freezing beneath the plate or strip;also, accumulations of dust and dirt are prevented, and the strip ismaintained in a condition practically free from clogging.

Another important feature connected with my improved weather-strip isthe independent vertical adjustment of the strip at either end thereof,due to the employment of the adjustable bearings or supports ll. It isevident that one or the other of the adjustable supports at either endof the tiltable plate or strip may be raised or lowered more or less tocorrespondingly adjust the tiltable plate and bring it into operativerelation to the lower edge of the door, thus compensating for any sagwhich may take place in the door during the practical service thereof.

The described construction ot" the adjustable supports for the tiltablestrip or plate enables a weather-strip to be applied to a door withoutrespect to its condition, thus overcoming one of the practicalobjections which have been encountered in the application of ordinaryweather-strips to doors. It is of course understood by those skilled inthe art that doors when exposed to the weather are liable to warp andshrink, besides sagging on theirhinge connection with the doorframe, andas a result the door does not Iit truly in the door-frame, but assumes aposition technically called out of square77 with the frame.

The construction of the strip and its supporting means herein describedobviates the objection heretofore encountered in practice of applyingweather-strips to sagged doors, and a further advantage of my inventionis that the strip and its supporting and operat- IOO TIO

ing means may be applied to ordinary thresholds or door-sills withoutcutting away and defacing the sill or the door-frame.

It is evident that changes in the form and proportion of parts and inthe details of con# struction may be made without departing from thespirit or sacrificing the advantages of the series ofindependently,-adjustable supports secured in said sill to lie Withinthe channel thereof and having seats in their upper ends, and a tiltablemetallic plate provided on its lower side with central bearinglugsfitted in said seats of the supports and said plate arranged within thesill-channel to house and conceal the supports which lie centrallywithin the side edges of said plate,

substantially` as described.

2. The combination with a sill having threshold-strips arranged to forma channel,

, of the threaded supports secured in series to the sill centrallywithin the channel thereof and provided with curved seats in their upperends, and a tiltable metallic plate arranged horizontally Within saidchannel and provided with the central depending bearing-` lugs which fitloosely in the seats of the supports to make the plate have acentralline of bearing thereon, said supports being adjustableindependently in the sill to raise the plate in'proper relation to thelower edge of a door and said plate further provided with a flangeadapted to impinge against a. door, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signaturein the presence of two witnesses.

ELMER ELSWORTII STEINER.

Witnesses:

PATRICK SHEA, GRANT H. THAYER.

